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Volunteer program
The center had two volunteers from Canada, Kate Suffling, an Occupational Therapist and a member of the Cameroon Working Group and the BCCSDR, and Martine Larochelle, an occupational therapy student of the University of Ottawa on placement. They arrived the center on the 2nd of March 2010 and were here for 4 and 7 weeks respectively. Kate left on April 3 2010 and Martine will leave April 17 2010.

One of their primary activities was further developing our mental health program. Kate provided a series of workshops with the assistance of Martine LaRochelle. The workshops were offered in the week of March 15th to 19th . The topics included Psychotic disorders, Mood disorders, Anxiety disorders, Addictions, Suicide, Ethics, and a Panel discussion on Recovery. Introductory sessions were held at the Bamenda Counseling Centre, Mbingo Baptist Hospital, CEFED Santa and the BCCSDR. Martine assisted Kate with the workshops, gave two presentations, and tutored members of the mental health workshops on how to use the yahoo groups
Kate and Martine were also involved in other projects around the Region notably the Mobility and Toileting Project in Mbingo.

Martine has been involved in the restructuring of the curriculum for the “Kids’ Camp,. She has also assisted the Emmaus Centre (a mental health Home in Bamenda) on how to plan the activities and days of their clients. She is also assisting the Bamenda Counseling Centre
Kate also developed the following documents that volunteers could use while in the Centre:
• Guidelines for students/volunteer-led workshops and seminars
• Exit report template for BCCSDR volunteers and students
• Emergency preparedness form for volunteers
• Volunteer application form

Research activities
Raw data collected from the field during the Prevalence study is now entered into an excel spreadsheet. Staff of the Centre shall be trained on how to enter data using Epi-Info. This is the program that will be used to analyze the data, this software is widely used internationally to analysis this type of data..

The Best Practices Guideline project too is going on. The Vocational Rehabilitation group had their first meeting on the 16 of March. They discussed on so many things including their scope statement. The Mental Health Best Practice group has been formed and they held their first meeting on the 23rd March 2010 at the Center with 4 members in attendance. Kate was instrumental in the formation of this group and she is a member.

A focus group discussion shall take place at the Centre on April 9 2010 to evaluate the first year of the Best Practice Guideline project. Interviews will also be organized for those who will not be able to attend the focus group discussions.

Other research projects are being planned, and we welcome ideas from the community about research that needs to be done.

Educational activities
The focus on educational activities continues. As described above, we held a dynamic series of educational activities on mental health and mental illness. Workshop began at the center with introductory sessions held in Mbingo Baptist Hospital, Counseling Clinic Nkwen and CEFED Santa. About 130 persons attended the introductory sessions with 63 of these attending at the BCCSDR. About 25 persons attended each of the workshops and participants came from different organizations including the Cameroon Baptist Convention, Centre for Rehabilitation and Abolition of Torture (CRAT), Emmaus House and Women in Action (WA) Cameroon. The Adminstrative Assistant assisted in informing members and other organsiations about the workshop, help with photocopies of note, and other logistical duties.
The response to the seminars was very good and people seemed eager to see more services and awareness on mental health. We do plan to continue to develop the program.

The first inclusive kids camp for the year was offered by Anjonga Emmanuel, the Administrative Assistant and Martine LaRochell. New and more interactive curriculum developed by the Centre with the assistance of Martine. Innovative ideas were brought to the camp as all activities of it were related to disability. This was to make the kids better understand disability issues. Each week had a theme on a particular disability. This camp lasted for four weeks instead of the normal six weeks. The last week of the camp saw an integration of all the activities and discussions of the first three weeks.
This camp was more challenging than previous sessions, with about 15-20 kids in attendance amongst whom were 6 kids with disability. The most challenging task was to find ways to include a child who had multiple disabilities (hearing, vision and speech impairments). Some Persons with Disabilities were invited to come and share their experience with the children during the formal closing ceremony of the camp. This really made the children to see ability in disability.

Board Meeting:
The Board meeting for the month of April held in the Conference Room of the Centre on the 1st of April 2010. How many Board members in attendance? Kate and Martine attended the meeting. They were both impressed with the deliberations.

Other Activities
The center joined women with disabilities to celebrate the International Womens Day 2010. Kate, Martine and Anjonga Emmanuel took part in the Bamenda march past with women with disabilities. Messages and slogans for change to make the North West Region an inclusive society were prepared by the center and these women with disabilities carried them as they marched. This was a good opportunity to advocate for change.

Two officials from the Control Brigade of the Regional Delegation of Social Affairs, the Chief of Control Brigade, Mr. Ache Aaron, and Mr. Asanji Godlove, were in the Centre on March 19th 2010. The purpose of their visit was for administrative and technical control mission from the delegation. Their reactions and impressions about the center were positive as they thanked the Executive Director for all the work he and his team are doing and told management that the Regional Delegation hopes to cooperate more with the Centre in future. The working visit lasted for about 2 hours.

The Executive Director went on a 10 days vacation from the 22nd to 31st of March 2010. During this time the centers activities went on smoothly.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
Each month we provide information about a couple of internet resources and highlight a book in our library.
From the BCCSDR Library:
Laura E. Berk. Child Development 4th ed., 1997.
This book portrays the complexities of child development that captures the interest of all those interested to learn more about this topic. We have a copy of this very useful book available in the library.

Website: www.unescap.org/sta/disability/manual
This website has some interesting information about using the ICF checklist. Now that we are about to analyze the data from the field members can update their knowledge on
• Understand ICF’s model and structure
• Appreciate importance of standards to disability statistics
• Describe ICF’s structure and coding for population data collection

Thanks for reading and watch out for April edition.
MANAGEMENT

The Management of BCCSDR is pleased to update you with what happened at the centre
in the month of April 2010 through this Bulletin. We hope the Bulletin serves the purpose for
which it is intended i.e. inform you of its activities.
Thanks again for your contributions to the center.

Membership
During April, we have been planning a membership drive which will occur during May
and June. Our goals include having each current member bring in one additional
individual member, inviting at least 20 organizations in the region to join, and having 3
new organizational members actually join.
You can now follow us on Facebook! Many thanks to Emmanuel who has set up an
exciting Facebook group for the centre. Join us now! There are great updates, pictures
and even video. Our goal is to get 100 members by the end of May. We already have over
20 members from many different places in the world.

Research activities:
Prevalence Study
Epi-Info software has been installed on two of the Centre’s computers for data entry of
the “Prevalence study”. Presently data is being entered and the work is progressing, this
process will take a couple of months to be completed. Epi-Info is a public domain
database and statistics program for use by public health officials (e.g. doctors, nurses,
epidemiologists, social workers) managing databases for public health activities,
conducting outbreak investigations, and performing statistical applications. Epi Info
allows the user to develop a questionnaire, customize the data entry process, enter data,
and analyze the data. Statistics, graphs, tables, and maps can be produced with simple
commands.

Best Practice Guideline Development
The Best Practices groups continue to work on their individual topic areas.
A focus group discussion held at the Centre on Friday April 9 to evaluate the first year of
the 3 year project of developing the best practice guidelines. Nine members took part in
the focus group discussion from the following committees; Hearing impairment, Family
Centres care, Vocational Rehabilitation, Visual impairment, Stroke Rehabilitation and
Accessible material for HIV and AIDS. Individual interviews have been scheduled with
other members who were not able to attend the FGD session.
The recommendations made during the FG discussion and interviews will be taken into
consideration as we strive to make the process better in order that we can come up with
good and easy to use BPG.

Staff report
The staff of the BCCSDR had an evaluation session with Martine Larochelle, student
occupational therapist on internship who was at the end of her stay at the Centre. This is a
standard practice at the Centre to sit with volunteers at the end of the program to evaluate
the services the Centre rendered to them and their contribution o the growth of the
Centre. The essence is to make sure that future volunteers are served better. We thank
Martine for her thoughtful insights and feedback.
Emmanuel Anjonga, the Administrative Assistant, is mobilizing persons with disabilities
towards the upcoming 50th anniversary of Cameroon’s independence as the Government
is keen on seeing every body participate He has held a series of meetings with the
President of the Coordinating Unit of Association for Persons with Disability
(CUAPWD) and other Disabled People’s Organizations. More about these activities in
the next Bulletin.
Emmanuel also assisted three student members from SENTTI on research methodology
and orientated them on how to use the library for research.
Adoh Yvonne, one of the Research Assistants, has been hired to enter the data into the
Epi-Info software.
We continue to work on the sustainability of the centre. We have submitted a proposal to
an international funding organization, and are presently working on other proposals. We
welcome suggestions of potential funders, partnerships and income opportunities.

Obituary
Management announces with regret the death of one of the research assistant Benedicta
Moyewoh Nyamsenkwen. She died on the 18/4/2010 and was laid to rest on Friday April
30 2010 in her native village, Bali.

Visits
A delegation from cbm who was in the country to evaluate the progress of the SEEPD
activities (Socio Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities) was welcomed to
the Centre on Tuesday, April 16, 2010. Funding for some of research work comes from
this project. The 5 person delegation was made up of; Country Director of CBM
Cameroon – Mr. Peter Mue, the Manager of the SEEPD Program – Mr. Benuh Ezikiel, the
Programme Officer CBM Australia – Ms Susan McGowan, Designated Funding Officer,
CBM Regional Office, Nairobi – Ms Kate McGran, and the Country Director of CBM
Chad, Mr. Magloire. The aim of their visit to the Centre was to evaluate what the Centre
has done so far in the area of research as concerns the SEEPD Program. Their visit lasted
over 2hrs. They stated that they were satisfied with the results so far.

Membership
A list of members who need to update their membership is being compiled. Membership
registration forms were given out to more DPOs (Disabled Persons Organizations) for
them to register with the Centre.
We continue with our membership drive to cause more people to register with the Centre.
Our goals include having each current member bring in one additional individual
member, inviting at least 20 organizations in the region to join, and having 3 new
organizational members actually join.

Research activities
The Best Practice Guidelines project is ongoing. An evaluation of the first year of the
project is underway. The raison d’être of this evaluation process is to make sure that
things are going as planned to ensure a successful development of best practice
guidelines. Some groups of the project are already working on the second stage which is
documenting current practices in rehabilitation in their respective specialties.
Data entry on the prevalence study on impairments and disabilities is also ongoing. Work
in it is expected to be complete in the months ahead. Some preliminary results of the
quality of life of persons with disability and the local expertise component will be out by
the end of June

Board meeting
An extra ordinary Board meeting held on May 6 2010 at the Conference Room of the
Centre to brain storm on the strategic plan and policies for the Center. The meeting was
as a result of the fact that the committees put in place to come up with policies for the
Center have been slow. The E.D. presented draft policies on re-imbursement to best
Practice guideline members, HIV and AIDS sensitization, and Student Placement which
members deliberated on and made some adjustments. The next meeting was scheduled
for the June 3 2010 at the Centre Conference Room beginning at 4.00p.m.
Members deliberating on the Policies
Centre Development
A book shelf was added to the library and the books are well arranged on it. The books
are now easily grouped according to subject matter.
BCCSDR library and reading space open to members of the Center

Networking and partnership
The center under the banner of the Coordinating Unit of Associations of Persons with
Disabilities (CUAPWD) Bamenda, joined persons with disabilities from most of the
disabled peoples’ organization around Bamenda to take part in the 20th May celebrations
match past. It was a history making event as some persons were in t shirts printed by the
CUAPWD. They drew applause from the administration and the general public.
BCCSDR join persons with disabilities under the banner of the CUAPWD to take part in
the May 20th match past

Staff Report
The administrative assistant attended the 30th anniversary celebrations of the Liliane
Foundation celebrated on the 27th of May. Liliane Foundation is an international NGO
that funds and supports programs for children with disabilities to rehabilitate them
educationally, vocationally and medically. This country representative, Rev. Sister
Genevieve, was given a copy of the Directory the Center compiled, Centre’s brochure
and a membership form. We will continue to follow up to ensure that we have fruitful
collaboration with them in the nearest future.
Administrative assistant briefing the country
representative of Lillian foundation Sis Genevieve
Yano about the BCCSDR
An interview with the Dutch Ambassador to
Cameroon her Excellency Saskia Bakker
Some participants during the meeting.
We also met with a group of physical therapists, surgical practitioners and Lecturers from
the Leuven University in Belgium. They worked in SAJOCAH and the Catholic Hospital
Njinikom. Discussions were centered on the Centre’s activities and plans for a
collaborative 2011 Conference.
The E.D met with the Regional representative of the recently launched agricultural and
livestock program of the North West Region to advocate for DPOs to be included in the
project. He also wrote a brief summary on the project to distribute to DPOs involved in
the agricultural and livestock sectors. The goal of the program is to boost agricultural and
livestock production in the Region.
The E.D. took part in the quarterly SEEPD stakeholders’ meeting at the Cameroon
Baptist Convention Centre. The meeting was presided by the Program Director who is
also the Director of the CBC Health Services. The stakeholders’ meetings are meant to
review what was done during the last quarter and to plan the activities of the next quarter.

Up coming events
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the center will hold on July 17 2010 at the
Centre Conference Room and will be chaired by the Board Chair Prof. Lynn Cockburn..
During the AGM new Board members shall be elected. The meeting will also evaluate
the activities of the Centre during the past 12 months and plan for the next 12 months. An
innovation during this AGM shall be a prize award to dedicated members of the Centre.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
We recommend that members of the Centre read through the Article of Association of the
Centre in order that our deliberations during the upcoming AGM should be guided and
more productive.
Website: www.bccsdr.org
This website has some interesting information about the BCCSDR and members can
update their knowledge on what the Centre does.
Thanks for reading and watch out for June edition.
MANAGEMENT

Please ~~~ comment below ~~~ send us an email ~~~~ come to the office ~~~~ Participate!